Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has wrapped up its core group meeting concerning the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections. Led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the four-hour session focused on strategizing for the state polls. It was decided that the BJP’s election committee meeting will take place on October 16, where the final list of candidates will be approved.
The meeting, held at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, saw participation from national president JP Nadda and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. According to sources, discussions encompassed not only seat allocations and election-related issues but also the seat-sharing formulas with coalition partners.
Approximately 100 constituencies were deliberated during the meeting, with most seats receiving single candidates. In addition to the BJP’s own nominees, potential candidates from constituent parties of the Mahayuti alliance were also considered. To counter anti-incumbency sentiments, several constituencies will see candidate swaps.
The focus was primarily on seats where incumbent legislators are vying for tickets, though some constituencies without sitting MLAs were also discussed to ensure confirmed tickets. Except for a few exceptions, BJP MPs who lost in the previous Lok Sabha elections will not receive tickets.
The meeting also addressed social and caste calculations, regional candidate distribution, and caste equations. Sources indicated that the BJP plans to field most of its candidates from the Vidarbha, Konkan, North Maharashtra, and Mumbai Metropolitan regions. Ajit Pawar is expected to contest from the majority of seats in the Marathwada and Western Maharashtra regions, while the Shiv Sena-Shinde group will focus on seats in the Mumbai Metropolitan region, Marathwada, and Konkan areas.
Upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections
The Maharashtra Assembly elections are slated for November. The ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising Shiv Sena, NCP, and BJP, is currently in power. Opposing them is the Maha Vikas Aghadi, led by Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena faction, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and the Congress. The Mahayuti aims to secure a victory under any circumstances, making significant decisions well before the elections.
Leaders of the Mahayuti alliance stated that negotiations have been completed for approximately 90% of the seats within the coalition. The remaining 10% are expected to be resolved in the next couple of days. With this in mind, the BJP has scheduled its election committee meeting for October 16.
BJP Prepares for Jharkhand Assembly Elections
In addition to Maharashtra, the BJP is gearing up for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections. A core committee meeting for Jharkhand has been scheduled for the evening of October 15. This meeting will include Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president JP Nadda, Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Assam Chief Minister Hemant Bishu Sharma, and Jharkhand BJP Chief Babulal Marandi. The primary agenda will be the scrutiny of candidate nominations.
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